Can cover replacer



Jan. 5, 1943. N. GRAN 2,307,262

` CAN covl-:R REPLAGER FiledvAug. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 5,1943. A N. GRAN CAN COVER RE'PLACER Filed Aug. 15, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2Patented Jan. 5, 1943 canl Govan REPLACERy Norman Gran, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to A. H. Arnold & Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofIllinois Application August 15, 1941, Serial No. 407,093

7 Claims. ,I (Cl. 29-84) The present invention relates in general toimprovements in the art of cleansing containers and ci' reassembling theclean parts, and relates more specifically to various improvements inthe construction and operation of mechanism for replacing the coversupon milk cans or the like after the individual parts have been washedand sterilized.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved receptacle coverapplying device which@1 is simple in construction and efficient inoperation.

It is customary in the dairy industry, to receive fresh milk from theproducers in rather large batches ranging in volume from five to tengal-i lons, each batch being confined in a relatively large milk cansealed with a standard circular cover. When these milk laden cans arereceived at the dairy, the milk is removed, and both the empty cans andtheir covers should be thoroughly? washed and sterilized before thecovers are reapplied to the cans and the assembled containers arereturned to the producers or otherwise reutilized. In dairies wherelarge quantities of milk cans are thus treated, the cans and coversareff preferably emptied in rapid succession with automatic machinery,and the successive cans and covers are thereafter cleansedautomatically, after which the covers should be quickly reapplied to thereceptacles. While the prior machinery for effecting automatic washing,sterilizing and drying of the succession of milk cans and covers, isquite satisfactory, considerable difculty has heretofore beenencountered in reapplying the covers to the containers, especially iwhen the successive receptacles were not all of the same capacity, shapeor size. Most of the prior cover replacers involve relativelycomplicated power driven mechanism which besides being expensive toinstall and operate, is ratherunreliable in action, and these previousdevices could not be readily applied to standard can and cover washerswithout excessive loss of time and considerable changing and expense.

It is therefore a more specific object of the present invention toprovide an improved milk can cover replacer which obviates all of theobjectionable features of prior devices of this kind, and which isextremely reliable in action.

Another specific object of my invention is' to provide an automaticreceptacle closure replacer especially adapted to reapply standardcovers to milk cans or the like, and which is conveniently applicable asan accessory to standard can and cover washers.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide an improvedmechanism for applying closure lids to containers advancing insuccession along a definite path, and which is adapted to automaticallycompensate for variations in the size and shape of the successivereceptacles.

Still another specic object of this invention is to provide a new anduseful can cover replacer vvwhich is operable by the successive cans toproperly time the cover application and to accurately seat thesuccessive covers in their' receiving sockets. i

An additional specific object of the present invention is to provide aVery simple and durable receptacle cover applyingmechanism, which isdependable in action, and requires minimum attention when in normal use.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a milk can coverreplacer especially applicable as an accessory to standard automaticstraight-line washers, and which can be manufactured, installed, andsafely operated at moderate cost.

A further object of my invention is to provide mechanism for applyingwashed and sterilized covers to clean cans, in a sanitary manner andwithout danger of damaging the elements.

These and other specic objects and advantages ofthe invention will beapparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention, and of the mode ofconstructing and of applying and operating milk can cover replacersbuilt in accordance with the improve ment, may be had by referring tothe drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification inwhich like reference characters designate thek same or similar parts inthe various views.

Fig. l is a side elevation of an improved milk can cover applyingmechanism, showing the same associated with the delivery end of astandard can washer;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the mechanism of Fig. l, lookingtoward the can actuated and cover release elements of the assemblage;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the mechanism, showing a cover rolling bygravity toward cover applying position;

Fig. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective View of the improvedmechanism, showing a cover in position ready for deliverythereof to acan advancing therebeneath.; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a commercial machine, showing a coverbeing applied to an advancing can.

While the invention has been shown and described herein by way ofillustration, as being applied to a standard straight-line milk canwasher of the type wherein the cans are inverted while being cleansed,and are righted automatically at the delivery end of the washer; and hasalso been disclosed as being operable by contact With lower portions ofthe successive cans, it is not my desire or intent to therebyunnecessarily restrict the scope or utility of the improvement.

Referring to the drawings, the standard straight-line automatic milk canand cover washer and sterilizer comprises in general an intermittentlymovable straight-line endless conveyor 8 mounted upon a main frame 9 andbeing adapted to transport milk cans Ill of various sizes in successionthrough an enclosing housing II and past a series of spray nozzles fordelivering washing and sterilizing iiuids against the cans; anindependent conveying and washing assemblage for simultaneouslytransporting the successive can covers I2 through the housing II; andmechanism I3 for inverting or righting the previously inverted cans IIJand for delivering the same in succession upon a runway I4 carried by anextension I5 of the frame 9. The construction and operation of theseautomatic straightline washers, is well known, and forms no essentialpart of the present invention.

The improved can cover replacer constituting my invention, comprisesgenerally a pair of upright shafts I6 journalled in upper and lowerbearings I'l, I8 respectively mounted on the washer frame 9 at oppositesides of the runway Ill; lower longitudinally adjustable can actuatedarms I9 rigidly secured to the pivot shafts I6 near the lower bearingsI8, and each having its swinging end directed inwardly toward thecorresponding end of the other arm I9 and provided with a can engagingroller 20; upper shaft actuated gate arms 2I also rigidly secured to theshafts i6, near the upper bearings I'I and each having its swinging enddirected inwardly toward the corresponding end of the other arm 2| andprovided with an upwardly and forwardly inclined gate bar 22; a torsionspring 23 embracing each pivot shaft I6 intermediate the bearings Il,I8, and each having one end firmly attached to the adjacent portion ofthe frame 9 while its opposite end is likewise, but adjustably attachedto the adjoining shaft I6 by means of a collar 2d and clamping screw 25;a fixed inclined cover rollway or guide 26 carried by the frame 9 andhaving its upper end in open communication with the cover runway 2'I ofthe washer, while its lower open end is directed inwardly toward andabove the can runway I4; a

tiltable at inclined cover slide or chute 28 dis,

posed beneath and laterally adjacent to the-guide 26 and being swingablysuspended at its upper end from the frame 9 by means of a shaft orpivots 29, so that the lower end of `the chute 28 may swing toward andaway from the lower run way Ill; a cover guiding hood 3i] carried by thelower swinging vend of the chute 28; and a counter-weight 3l carried byan arm 32 projecting upwardly and rearwardly from the upper end of thechute 28, and being cooperable with a fixed stop abutment 33 to limitthe downward swinging motion of the chute.

Each of the can'actuated arms `I 9 is preferably adjustable in lengthwith the aid of bolts 34 carried by the outer arm sections and coactingwith slots 35 in the inner sections, so as to change the relationshipbetween the rollers 20 and the gate arms 2I to compensate for variationsin the speed of operation of the machine; and the arms I9 may be causedto coact with stop plates 3B in order to limit their inward swingingmotion. The arms I9 may'also be secured to the pivot shafts I5 anywhereabove the lower bearings I8 so as to cause the rollers 20 to engage thesuccessive advancingcans I0at-any desired point,and the collars 24 andscrews 25 may obviously be utilized to secure any desired tension in thesprings 23. These springs 23 should be formed to constantly urge thelower arms I9 toward the stop plates 35, and to maintain these armsagainst the stops when no cans I0 are engaging the rollers 20. Thecounterweight 3| may also be made adjustable along the arm 32 in orderto properly counter-balance the weight of the chute 28 and hood 39. The'entire can cover replacing assemblage `1nay obviously be applied as anaccessory to either new washing machines, or to machines alreadyinstalled, by merely providing a supporting extension I5 therefor to themain frame 9, and final can discharge guides 31 may also be providedalong the runway I4.

During normal operation of the washer and can cover replacingassemblages, after the cover replacer has been properly installed andadjusted, it will function to automatically place a cover I2 on eachmilk can Ill as the latter are discharged in succession from the washerhousing I I. The inain conveyor 8 will normally transport the cans i9 ininverted condition and in succession through the housing II, and the cancovers I2 will be simultaneously transported in the position shown inFig, 3 along the washer guideway 2. The successive clean cans I0 uponleaving the housing I I, are righted and deposited in upright positionupon the runway Irl, along which they may be transported either bysucceeding cans I or by other conveying means. As the successive coversI2 emerge from the guideway 2'1 and are deposited in the rollway 26,they roll by gravity downwardly toward the inclined chute 28 and areeventually deposited atly thereon. The inertia of' the downwardlyadvancing successive covers I2 carries them downwardly along the chute2B beneath the hood 3D where they are momentarily stopped by the uppergate armsr2I and inclined bars 22. The corresponding advancing can lethereafter engages the rollers 29 and spreads the lower arms I9 apart,and in so doing, the shafts I6 are rotated in the bearings Il, I8 andsimultaneously spread the upper arms 2i and gate rods 22 apart. As thisspreading action proceeds, the springs 23 will be subjected toincreasing torsion, and the spreading movement will ultimately besufficient to permit the cover l2 to pass between the bars or rods 22,and to -drop by gravity into the receiving socket of the can Ii) asillustrated in Fig. 5. Each of the advancing cans I0 thus automaticallypicks up a properly positioned cover I2, and

the rollers 22 continue to ride along the trailing curved rear wall ofeach can I and permit the springs 23 to become eiective to quicklyrestore the lower actuating arms I9 and the upper gate arms 2l to normalposition, as shown in Fig. 3.

When the successive cans I9 are relatively low height as depicted in thedrawings, and are insufficiently tall to contact the cover chute 28,this chute will not swing about its pivot shaft 29, but will remain inthe position shown in Fig. l with the counterbalancing weight 3I incontact with the stop 33. However, if a higher can I0 is advanced alongthe runway IS and beneath thechute 23, the upper portion of the high canwill contact the bottom plate 38 of the cover chute 28, and will swingthis chute upwardly about its suspension pivot 29 sufliciently to permitthe can I0 to advance forwardly beneath the chute 28. During such upwarddisplacement of the Ilower delivery'end of the chute 2S by a tall canlil, the counter-balancing weight 3l will be lowered away from the stop33, but after the high can has passed the chute 28 and has been suppliedwith a cover I2, the weight of the chute 28, hood 30, and plate 38,which exceeds that of the counter-weight 3l and arm 32, will againreturn the counter-balancing weight 3E and the chute 28 to the positionillustrated in Fig, 1. The can actuated cover replacer thus functionsautomatically to apply covers l2 to cans lil of various height or size,within the limits of the space provided by the frame, and the stop 33may also be made vertically adjustable so as to insure propercooperation of the cover supply chute 28 with cans HI of differentheights.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be apparent that mypresent invention provides an improved can cover applying assemblagewhich is extremely simple, compact and durable in construction, andwhich is moreover highly eflicient in operation. By virtue of the factthat the improved mechanism is operated directly by the advancing canslil, and no special power driven connections are necessary, the coverreplacer may be readily applied as an accessory to various types of oldor new can washers, and is adapted to be actuated at minimum cost. Thepresent improved can cover replacer is positive and entirely automaticin action, and also automatically adjusts itself for cooperation withcans of various sizes; and while the improved assemblage is shown hereinas being associated with a can washer of a particular type, it mayobviously be applied wherever it is desired to apply closures toadvancing receptacles in succession. My iinproved milk can coverreplacer applies the covers to the cans in a safe and sanitary mannerwithout necessitating manual handling of the cover or can, and hasproven highly satisfactory and successful in actual commercial use. Itis intended that the word cover as used herein shall designate any kindof closure for an opening in a receptacle, and that the word can asspeciiically used shall include any type of container or receptacle,

It should be understood that it is riot desired to limit this inventionto the exact details of construction, or to the precise mode ofoperation, herein shown and described for various modi cations withinthe scope of the appended claims,

may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In combination, guide means for conducting cans along a definitepath, means for feeding covers to a denite zone above said path, avertical pivot shaft disposed on each side of said path, a can actuatedarm associated with each of said shafts and extending into said pathadjacent t0 the lower body portion of the cans, and a gate armassociated with each of said shafts above said path and extendinginwardly in front of said cover feeding means, said gate'arms beingoperable by the advancing cans through said shafts and said actuatingarms to reelase the successive covers from said feeding means.

2. In combination, guides for conducting open topped milk cans along adefinite rectilinear path, a cover supply chute swingable about ahorizontal axis toward and away from said path, vertical pivot shaftsdisposed on opposite sides of said path, gate arms carried by upperportions of said shafts and extending inwardly in front of the deliveryend of said chute, and actuating arms secured to the lower portions ofsaid shafts and extending inwardly into the path of the lower bodyportions of the advancing cans.

3. In combination, guides for conducting open topped milk cans along adenite rectilinear path, a cover supply chute swngable about ahorizontal axis toward and away from said path, vertical pivot shaftsdisposed on opposite sides of said path, gate arms carried by upperportions of said shafts and extending inwardly in front of the deliveryend of said chute, actuating arms secured to the lower portions of saidshafts and extending inwardly into the path of the lower body portionsof the advancing cans, and spring means for constantly urging said armsinwardly.

4. In combination, guides for conducting open milk cans along a denitepath, a cover supply chute swingable about a transverse fulcrum to wardand away from said path, pivot shafts clisposed on opposite sides ofsaid path, gate arms carried by corresponding end portions of saidshafts remote from the cans and extending inwardly in front of thedelivery end of said chute, and actuating arms carried by the oppositeend portions of said shafts and extending inwardly into the path of thebody portions of the advancing cans.

5. In combination, guides fo-r conducting open milk cans along adefinite path, a cover supply chute swingable about a transverse fulcrumtoward and away from said path, pivot shafts disposed on opposite sidesof said path, gate arms carried by corresponding end portions of saidshafts remote from the cans and extending inwardly in front of thedelivery end of said chute, actuating arms carried by the opposite endportions of said shafts and extending inwardly into the path of the bodyportions of the advancing cans, and spring means coacting with saidshafts to constantly urge said arms inwardly.

6. In combination, guide means for a succession of advancing cans, acover supply chute above said guide means, said chute includingv meansmovable by the advancing cans to cause said chute to properly cooperatewith the open ends of cans of different height, a pair of gate armspivotally suspended on opposite sides oi said guide means andcooperating with the cover delivery end of said chute, a pair of canactuated arms pivotally suspended on opposite sides of said guide means,and means connecting said can actuated arms to said gate arms forperiodically swinging said gate arms to release the successive covers assuccessive cans actuate said can actuated arms.

7. In combination, guides for conducting open topped milk cans along adefinite rectilinear path, a cover supply chute swingable about ahorizontal axis toward and away from said path, vertical pivot shaftsdisposed o-n opposite sides of said path, gate arms carried by upperportions of said shafts and extending inwardly in front of the deliveryend of said chute, and actuating arms secured to the lower portions ofsaid shafts and extending inwardly into the path of the lower bodyportions of the advancing cans, said chute including means cooperablewith the upper ends of the successive cans to swing the chute kaboutsaid axis for proper coaction with cans of diiferent heights.

NORMAN GRAN.

